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Allotment cookbook – Top 12

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Best Allotment Cookbook

Have you an abundance of crops from your garden or allotment? Are you fed up of cooking the same things with all your produce you have picked? Do you want to find some amazing recipes to try cooking with all the produce you have grown? Here we have found all the best allotment cookbook that are available to purchase online. We have gone through all the customer reviews to find the allotment cookbook to suit you.

Which allotment cookbook have you got or going to purchase? Let us know in the comments below.


Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

Are you starting an allotment or planning on growing your own fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a kitchen garden? If so we highly recommend the book Allotment Month By Month. This does exactly what it does on the cover to help you with what you should be doing in the allotment and kitchen garden each month. Below you can see the link for Amazon where you can purchase the book directly. This book is extremely popular with all allotment holders as you will read in the reviews:-

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.



Book:- The Allotment Cookbook

About The Book:-

This allotment cookbook tells the story of spring, summer, autumn and winter. It gives you some great ideas to use great British produce to make some delicious meals. Most of the recipes can be made with produce from the supermarket but why not make it taste extra special by growing the ingredients yourself.

Purchase The Book:-

Here you can see the price the book is currently on sale for at Amazon. Click the link below where you can purchase the book safely and securely through Amazon.

Reviews of the Cookbook:-

This cookbook has an average rating of 4.8 out of 5. It has a 5* percentage of 85% from 46 purchases. Here is what some of the purchases have said about the book:-

  • Bought as a gift and much appreciated. Love that the recipes reflect seasonal products to grow on the allotment and recipes have a modern twist! Really liked it. A great idea for someone who loves growing your own and cooking!


Book:- Allotment Cookbook Through the Year

About The Book:-

This cookbook is packed with delicious recipes to try and make – in fact it has over 200 recipes to try. Use all the berries, apples and herbs that you have grown in your garden and allotment to make something taste delicious.

Purchase The Book:-

Here you can see the price the book is currently on sale for at Amazon. Click the link below where you can purchase the book safely and securely through Amazon.

Reviews of the Cookbook:-

This cookbook has an average rating of 4.8 out of 5. It has a 5* percentage of 84% from 23 purchases. Here is what some of the purchases have said about the book:-

  • Really useful book both for growing tips and also cooking and what to do with all that surplus.
  • I frequently turn to this book for ideas about how to use up the usual gluts.
  • Some really nice recipes, especially great for vegetarians.


Book:- The Allotment Cookbook Through the Year

About The Book:-

This allotment cookbook is a new version of the one listed above. It has also got over 200 recipes to make use of all the allotment produce you have grown on the allotment or in the garden. Why not try making delicious seasonal dishes: from pickles and preserves to hearty vegetarian stews and light soups and salads

Purchase The Cookbook:-

Here you can see the price the book is currently on sale for at Amazon. Click the link below where you can purchase the book safely and securely through Amazon.

Reviews of the Cookbook:-

This cookbook has an average rating of 3.6 out of 5. It has a 5* percentage of 54% from 5 purchases. Here is what some of the purchases have said about the book:-

  • I bought this book thinking it would be similar to the previous edition. Unfortunately, the book was in black and white and provided little inspiration. Returned to Amazon.


Book:- Vegetable Gardener’s Cookbook,

About The Book:-

When you know how to cook and utilise produce, it’s easy to prepare standout meals. Danielle Majeika, farm-owner and founder of the blog The Perpetual Season, derives complexity of flavour from a harmonious balance of herbs, simple spices, farm-fresh vegetables, and cooking methods in this incredible cookbook. Danielle goes beyond traditional steamed veggies, utilizing techniques that help bring out unique, vibrant flavours – like roasting fennel and tomatoes with fresh rosemary in a cast-iron skillet. Every recipe highlights one or two vegetables that are easy to grow and popular at markets – like leeks, fennel, carrots, and tomatoes.

Purchase The Book:-

Here you can see the price the book is currently on sale for at Amazon. Click the link below where you can purchase the book safely and securely through Amazon.

Reviews of the Cookbook:-

This cookbook has an average rating of 5 out of 5. It has a 5* percentage of 100% from 5 purchases. Here is what some of the purchases have said about the book:

  • This book is a work of art!! The prelude for each recipe reads like poetry! There is a beautiful photo of every recipe! There are also tips for growing your own vegetables. The recipes are elegant yet easy to make. This book would appeal to the experienced chef or the beginning home cook. Awesome and amazing!! I got this book for Christmas and I am going to purchase one for both of my daughters. If your a meat eater these dishes would make wonderful sides! Also, directions are accurate and easy to follow. Delicious!


Book:- The Allotment Book: Seasonal Planner and Cookbook

About The Book:-

This beautifully illustrated follow-up to Andi Clevely’s bestseller, The Allotment Book, celebrates the joys of both growing and cooking your own produce. Perfect for the complete beginner or the experienced allotmenteer, The Allotment Book: Seasonal Planner and Cookbook will ensure your crops thrive and your table is laden all year round

Purchase The Book:-

Here you can see the price the book is currently on sale for at Amazon. Click the link below where you can purchase the book safely and securely through Amazon.

Reviews of the Cookbook:-

This cookbook has an average rating of 4.4 out of 5. It has a 5* percentage of 73% from over 26 purchases. Here is what some of the purchases have said about the book:-

  • Well written and informative. Dedicates just a bit too much space to the recipes for my liking, but good for inspiration during these winter months.


Book:- Grow & Cook: An A-Z of what to grow all through the year at home

About The Book:-

More and more people are being inspired to grow a little of what they eat at home. But while starting your own kitchen garden may seem like a daunting task at first, Grow & Cook makes it easy.

Award-winning author and gardener, Mark Diacono, has distilled years of knowledge into this pocket-sized book. Whether you are new to gardening and only have a small window box or you are much more experienced with the space to experiment, this user-friendly handbook will inspire and help you. Mark is here to show you that there are plenty of options for everyone and lots of exciting new varieties to discover.

Each variety in the book includes a wealth of information on when to sow, growing tips, potential problems, harvesting and plenty more. There are hundreds of varieties to pick from that can be grown and then used in your kitchen.

Purchase The Book:-

Here you can see the price the book is currently on sale for at Amazon. Click the link below where you can purchase the book safely and securely through Amazon.

Reviews of the Cookbook:-

This cookbook has an average rating of 4.8 out of 5. It has a 5* percentage of 83% from 19 purchases. Here is what some of the purchases have said about the book:-

  • What can I say other than a superb publication from the king of gardening? Here he applies his extensive knowledge to get the most from your allotment with such enthusiasm you can’t wait to get down your plot and start digging and planting! All bases are covered and presented in a way that the complete novice can understand, but also, for the more experienced grower, provides useful info for example if growing a particular vegetable for the first time. This book won’t disappoint, thank you, Mr T.


Book:- Tender: Volume I, A cook and his vegetable patch 

About The Book:-

With over 400 recipe ideas and many wonderful stories from the cook’s garden, Tender: Volume I – A cook and his vegetable patch, is the definitive guide to cooking with vegetables from Britain’s finest food writer. In his imitable, unpretentious style Nigel Slater elevates vegetables to the starring role in his latest cook book, whether that means enjoying vegetables for their own sake or on the same plate as a piece of meat or fish. From crab cakes and crushed peas to broccoli and lamb stir-fry, luxury cauliflower cheese to a delicious broad bean salad, Tender has everything a cook could want from a recipe book

Purchase The Book:-

Here you can see the price the book is currently on sale for at Amazon. Click the link below where you can purchase the book safely and securely through Amazon.

Reviews of the Cookbook:-

This cookbook has an average rating of 4.8 out of 5. It has a 5* percentage of 84% from over 260 purchases. Here is what some of the purchases have said about the book:-

  • The book is absolutely beautiful, with strong binding and thick, quality paper that stays in perfect condition despite rigorous flipping. The pictures are typically gorgeous, although sadly not all recipes are shot.
  • My only reason for not giving 5 stars (and then, if I could have given four and three quarters..) is that I am slightly disappointed about the gardening aspect of the book. I had expected it to be full of tips, advice and personal accounts of growing fantastic vegetables. As it turns out, Nigel, while one of my absolute favourite food writers, knows less than I do about vegetable patches. He waxes, beautifully, lyrical about the virtues of each of the vegetables and his personal emotional journey with it (all good reading), but adds only a meager paragraph for each about producing your own. For several of the vegetables in the book, he admits that he has no experience whatsoever, having never grown them himself.
  • That said, the book is very well organised, originally presented and (like almost all of Nigel’s book) an utter joy to discover.
  • Strongly recommended, but just don’t expect to learn a great deal about growing your own…unless you’re a complete beginner.


Book:- The Allotment Cooks: A-Z Recipe Book

About The Book:-

The Allotment Cooks A-Z Recipe book has been created and developed by allotment cooks for allotment cooks. Allotment Cooks was developed with the concept of own growers being able to share their own tried and tested recipes for their own grown produce. We have a growing community of growers who love to use their own produce in the kitchen. With a large and growing community, we are very lucky to have a wealth of knowledge and experience. This wonderful community of Allotment Cooks also relates to a depth of knowledge for the growing of produce, with the specific aim of using its own grown food in the kitchen. Most of this also enables the use of fresh and seasonal produce, as well as the all-important “how to” preserve, use and store own grown produce for out of season use. All of the recipes have been contributed by our wonderful community, who have tried, tasted, sourced and adapted recipes to make them their own. We hope that you enjoy these wonderful recipes, which have been created for the “every day”, easy to follow use in the kitchen and to inspire ideas for growing in the coming seasons.

Purchase The Book:-

Here you can see the price the book is currently on sale for at Amazon. Click the link below where you can purchase the book safely and securely through Amazon.

Reviews of the Cookbook:-

This cookbook has an average rating of 4.1 out of 5. It has a 5* percentage of 56% from 20 purchases. Here is what some of the purchases have said about the book:-

  • Really good book, ideal for people who grow their own food. I love that it is in alphabetical order of the food you grow. Makes it really easy to find recipes. Also nice to see recipes which other people have tried- which look realistic to make yourself. More recipes in here then most recipe books!


Book:- How to Store Your Garden Produce: The Key to Self-sufficiency

About The Book:-

What can you do with a glut of tomatoes? How do you bottle plums and string onions? What can you do that is interesting with all those huge marrows? How do you keep potatoes through the winter? With less than an acre of garden, you can grow enough produce to feed a family of four for a year, but as much of the produce will ripen simultaneously in the summer, most of it will go to waste without proper storage and you’ll be off to the shops again. How to Store Your Garden Produce the key to self-sufficiency is packed with ideas for making your produce last for months and helping you embrace the wonderful world of self-sufficiency. Here are simple and enjoyable techniques for bottling, clamping, fermenting, drying, freezing, salting and vacuum packing, as well as delicious recipes for jams, jellies, pickles and chutneys, relishes and ketchup, fruit butter and cheeses. With this book, you will know where your food has come from, you will save money, there will be no packaging and you’ll be eating the best produce you can eat your own.

Purchase The Book:-

Here you can see the price the book is currently on sale for at Amazon. Click the link below where you can purchase the book safely and securely through Amazon.

Reviews of the Cookbook:-

This cookbook has an average rating of 4.4 out of 5. It has a 5* percentage of 65% from over 214 purchases. Here is what some of the purchases have said about the book:-

  • This is a lovely useful little book, however, the reason it didn’t receive more stars is that the information for bottling is unnecessarily over-complicated in its description and method. I heard from Michel Roux the other day on bottling and it is a very straight forward process This book whether it’s to fill up space and justify the cost of buying is not written as simply as it should and could have been. Why complicate something that is simple in its application? – quite unnecessary!


Book:- The Allotment Chef: Home-grown Recipes and Seasonal Stories

Purchase The Book:-

Here you can see the price the book is currently on sale for at Amazon. Click the link below where you can purchase the book safely and securely through Amazon.

Reviews of the Cookbook:-

This cookbook has an average rating of 4.3 out of 5. It has a 5* percentage of 51% from 10 purchases. Here is what some of the purchases have said about the book:-

  • we just stareted our allotment in our garden, im already a Paul Merrett fan, my wife loves this book. very true to life, and applicable to real allotments, so can easy enjoy the read, as well as get some good ideas. well done Paul


Book:- River Cottage Much More Veg: 175 vegan recipes for simple, fresh and flavourful meals

About The Book:-

In typical Hugh style, the recipes are easy, utterly foolproof, delicious, and full of plenty of swap-out suggestions. All but a handful are gluten-free, and at least half the dishes require 20 minutes (or less) hands-on work time. With recipes such as Roast squash and chickpeas with spicy apricot sauce, Blackened cauliflower with pecans and tahini, Spiced beetroot, radicchio and orange traybake, Celeriac and seaweed miso broth, Seared summer cabbage with rosemary, chilli and capers, and Baked celery agrodolce, River Cottage Much More Veg! demonstrates how easy it is to make versatile, plentiful and delicious vegetables the bedrock of your diet.

Purchase The Book:-

Here you can see the price the book is currently on sale for at Amazon. Click the link below where you can purchase the book safely and securely through Amazon.

Reviews of the Cookbook:-

This cookbook has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5. It has a 5* percentage of 78% from over 559 purchases. Here is what some of the purchases have said about the book:-

  • This is an excellent book, for everyone. Vegans and non-vegans alike. Hugh is not a vegan, but he has a heap of professional experience to know that eating plant based, whole foods, non-processed foods is not only bad for your health, it is also not easy to maintain a healthy weight.
  • I am a vegetarian but prefer to avoid dairy as much as I can. I have a few very good vegan cookbooks but am dismayed at the number of recipes that use pasta or other foods that include wheat. Hugh doesn’t use any of these, and all his recipes consist of good, clean foods. I particularly like the way he has approached this cookbook. Although there is a whole section of main meals, he also has other sections that are dishes that enable the mezze style of meals. Which I love! A healthy meal should be a varied one, so having a huge selection of options to choose from, and the ability to ‘recycle’ any leftovers into the next days’ meal, make for a very interesting meal.
  • There are a few 1 Star reviews of his book, and I feel the people that give this rating really must have no idea of what a healthy meal should look like. If you are a person that is fixed in your idea of what a meal should look like on a plate – such as a slab of meat with a bit of side veg, then this book may not be for you. However, if you also love a good selection of healthy dishes, with different textures and tastes, then it most certainly is.
  • This cookbook is most definitely the BEST one I have ever bought. It is very well laid out and has a photo of each dish too. I also love that Hugh has given options for replacing certain ingredients. Buy it, you will love it!


Book:- The Kew Gardens Children’s Cookbook: Plant, Cook, Eat

About The Book:-

This beautiful kitchen-garden cookbook, produced in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, contains step-by-step guides to show how easy it is to grow peas, beans, potatoes, carrots and more in your garden, in patio containers or in window boxes or on an allotment. Then transform your home-grown produce into delicious meals and desserts by following easy, step-by-step recipes.

By having fun growing different plants, children won’t be able to wait to try their tasty produce, encouraging great, healthy eating habits.

Learn all about how plants grow, from seeds to seedlings, watering and weeding, to harvesting and composting.

Information on minibeasts and garden creatures show how nature works together to help plants grow.

Includes advice on cooking tools and utensils and healthy and balanced diets

Purchase The Book:-

Here you can see the price the book is currently on sale for at Amazon. Click the link below where you can purchase the book safely and securely through Amazon.

Reviews of the Cookbook:-

This cookbook has an average rating of 4.7 out of 5. It has a 5* percentage of 84% from over 44 purchases. Here is what some of the purchases have said about the book:-

  • A nice simple book for children to start planting and growing vegetables. It has a step by step guide on how to cook a dish using the vegetable.it has shown them how to grow.
    It tells children enough to keep them interested but does not overdo the information, so they get bored.


We hope that you have found our list of best allotment cookbook useful and you have found the one you would like to purchase. Why not check out our allotment books here.

fresh red cherries

When to prune a cherry tree

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When to prune a cherry tree

Are you growing a cherry tree in the garden? Or have you gained an allotment or garden and no Idea about pruning a fruit tree. Here we will explain when to prune a cherry tree, how to prune a cherry tree and why you should prune a cherry tree.

All fruit trees need pruning each year. This is to help the tree focus on growing the delicious fruit and not focusing on branches which are not doing much. It also keeps the tree looking good, shaped well and good to look at.


Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

Are you starting an allotment or planning on growing your own fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a kitchen garden? If so we highly recommend the book Allotment Month By Month. This does exactly what it does on the cover to help you with what you should be doing in the allotment and kitchen garden each month. Below you can see the link for Amazon where you can purchase the book directly. This book is extremely popular with all allotment holders as you will read in the reviews:-

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.


When to prune a cherry tree

Most fruit trees are pruned when the tree is dormant and in hibernation during the winter. Unfortunately, cherry trees do not follow this standard rule.

Early spring is an ideal time to prune cherry trees or right at the end of the summer. Early spring is the better option just before the cherry tree starts to blossom. Prune the cherry tree just before the buds on the tree start to appear. This is usually after the chance of frost has passed. Cutting the branches when the frost is still around can upset the tree as it could affect it from the cold weather.

How to prune a cherry tree

To prune a cherry tree you will require the tools to prune your tree with. These are pruning saw, hand loppers, and possibly a hand pruner. The most vital thing you do before you even start cutting your branches off is to clean the tools with rubbing alcohol. You do not want to spread any kind of disease to the tree that may have from any other trees.

To prune a young cherry tree you need to prune it to look like a open vase this is so that the sunlight can get into the tree once all the leaves have grown back on. It also helps with the air circulation in the tree.

Check round the base of the tree and cut off any shoots coming from the bottom of the tree these are called suckers. Chop off any branches on the cherry tree that are pointing down wards, you don’t want your branches growing in the wrong direction. You don’t want any pointless branches growing that would just take the energy and nutrients away from the cherry tree.

You can cut off any branches that look diseased or that are dead. These are only wasting the trees energy plus you don’t want the disease spreading to other parts of the tree.

If you are wanting to cut some height off the tree do this in Autumn this is called head the tree. If you were to head the cherry tree in spring you would be cutting off developing buds. The heading cut is to chop back upto 1/3 of the branch or limb. Heading a tree is when you are cutting back the leading central trunk. This is usually done to develop the lower branches of the fruit tree.

When pruning a cherry tree you can also look for any branches that cross over any of the other branches. You will not want these as this stops the air circulation on the fruit tree. Chop these right back.

Final thoughts

Remember when pruning a cherry tree you want it to look good so try and vision it with leaves on when pruning it back. Clear away any old branches and leaves you have chopped away as this can encourage disease on the tree. You can also paint on the tree tree sealant where you have cut branches off this will help stop diseases in the tree.


We hope you have found these tips useful on when to prune a cherry tree and how to prune them. You can find out lots more information on plants here.

When to harvest parsnips

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When to harvest parsnips

Are you growing parsnips for the first time? Do you need to know when the best time is to harvest your parsnips for delicious root vegetables? Here you will find out when to harvest parsnips at there best time. There is nothing better than growing your own vegetables and tasting your hard work and effort you have put into growing your vegetables.

Parsnips have a long growing period so do not think you will be picking these after a few weeks. The magic to having great tasting parsnips is the cold frost at the end of the year. The question you are thinking is why would frost make the parsnip taste better? Carry on reading to find out what the magic of frost is.


Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

Are you starting an allotment or planning on growing your own fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a kitchen garden? If so we highly recommend the book Allotment Month By Month. This does exactly what it does on the cover to help you with what you should be doing in the allotment and kitchen garden each month. Below you can see the link for Amazon where you can purchase the book directly. This book is extremely popular with all allotment holders as you will read in the reviews:-

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.


When are parsnips ready to harvest?

Parsnips will take on average 4 to 5 months to grow to maturity. You can actually leave the parsnips in the ground over winter until you actually need them so there is no chance of the parsnips rotting once you have harvested them.

Parsnips are usually picked after a few frosty mornings. The reason behind this is that the frost will change the starch in the parsnip to sugar which gives it the beautiful nutty flavor. This is the reason why you leave parsnips in the ground and harvest after the frost.

How do you harvest parsnips?

The best bit comes to when you are actually harvesting your parsnips. All the hard work you have put into growing these delicious root vegetable.

The best way to harvest parsnips is when you actually need them only harvest what you need for that meal.

Carefully get a garden fork to ease up the parsnip out of the ground. Be careful not to stab the root of the parsnip or snap it as it will not store well if you damage the parsnip while you are harvesting them.


You should now know when to harvest parsnips at there best time to get great crops. If you need to find out more about growing parsnips you can find out here.

purple sprouting broccoli

Growing purple sprouting broccoli

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Growing purple sprouting broccoli

Are you a broccoli fan? Have you ever tried purple sprouting broccoli? Did you know purple sprouting broccoli is highly nutritious it is lots of vitamin A and C and full of folic acid. You will feel the benefits of eating this type of broccoli. You can grow great crops of purple sprouting broccoli lasting you from autumn all the way to the year after. Here you will learn about growing purple sprouting broccoli.


Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

Are you starting an allotment or planning on growing your own fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a kitchen garden? If so we highly recommend the book Allotment Month By Month. This does exactly what it does on the cover to help you with what you should be doing in the allotment and kitchen garden each month. Below you can see the link for Amazon where you can purchase the book directly. This book is extremely popular with all allotment holders as you will read in the reviews:-

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.


Purchase Purple Sprouting Broccoli Seeds

Are you looking at trying to grow purple sprouting broccoli? Here we recommend the best variety to try growing at home and on the allotment. You can purchase it directly from Amazon from the link below.

When to sow, plant and harvest purple sprouting broccoli

Planting, sowing and harvesting your purple sprouting broccoli at the right times of the year is important so that you get better crops and harvests. You want to make the most out of your plants. Here we have the dates for doing all the specific tasks with your purple sprouting broccoli.

SowMarch to June
PlantJune to August
HarvestAugust – June

Please remember these dates all depend on the weather and temperature in the UK where you are based

How to sow purple sprouting broccoli

Sowing purple sprouting broccoli dates all depend on the temperature in your area. You can start them off in March if you live in a warmer area of the Uk but people often start them off towards the end of April beginning of May.

To sow the sprouting broccoli seeds this can be done in a seed tray filled with normal multi-purpose compost. Sprinkle the seeds evenly across the compost. The broccoli seeds are small balls. They are still easy to handle though. Make sure they are spread out in the compost then they will be easier to transplant.

Cover the seeds with compost lightly. Water the seeds but do not drown them. You can now cover them with a seed propagator or cling film to keep them warm and moist this will help with the broccoli seed germination and guarantee better success.

You can now place the seed tray on a windowsill, in a warm greenhouse or polytunnel. Just make sure there is plenty of sunlight.

Once the broccoli seeds start to germinate you can take the cling film off the top of the seed tray for the seeds to grow. Keep them in warm place.

How to plant purple sprouting broccoli

When the purple sprouting broccoli is big enough to handle and strong enough you can now transplant them to individual plant pots to keep growing until the chance of frost has passed.

In June you can now plant the broccoli plants outdoors as the risk of frost should have passed by now. Before planting out you can improve the soil for the broccoli to grow in by adding some well-rotted organic matter and compost to the soil. Make sure you have weeded the area well and got rid of any roots in the soil to prevent more weeds growing back

Just before planting out make sure you have given the plants a good watering this helps the plants take when transplanting. When planting out they require a lot of space to grow. Plant them around 60-70cm apart

How to care for purple sprouting broccoli

Purple sprouting broccoli does not require much care and attention. Water every 10 to 14 days in dry spells. More often in hot weather. You can stake the sprouting broccoli up with canes to hold it up and stop it from falling over.

You can feed the purple broccoli by creating your own feed – this can be done with nettles soaked in water for a few week. You can also feed them with blood, fish and bone pellets or even chicken pellets.

When the middle floret starts to develop you can pinch this out so that the side shoots on the broccoli grow bigger and better.

You can protect your purple sprouting broccoli by placing netting or a fine fleece over it when you plant them. This is because the birds will eat the broccoli plants down to the base especially the pigeons. It will also stop the butterflies from laying there eggs on the leaves and producing caterpillars which will devour them.

How to harvest purple sprouting broccoli

The best bit of growing purple sprouting broccoli is harvesting it when it is ready. So when is purple sprouting broccoli ready to harvest? Depending on the variety you have chosen to grow depends on when you will be harvesting the purple broccoli. You could be harvesting it from late summer through to winter. Most varieties of purple sprouting broccoli will be ready to pick in March – April the following year. So do not expect to be eating it pretty soon after planting. This broccoli takes it’s time to grow. You can find out more about harvesting broccoli here.


Now you know about growing purple sprouting broccoli. If you would like to grow normal broccoli you can find the tips and advice here.

broccoli

Grow your own broccoli

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Grow your own broccoli

Are you a broccoli lover? Broccoli is getting more and more popular. It is extremely popular in the fitness industry as it’s classed as a superfood. More people are eating it on a daily basis, it is delicious, juicy but broccoli is also expensive to purchase. So why not grow your own broccoli in the garden or allotment? Here we are going to explain how to grow broccoli with our helpful gardening hints and tips. If you fancy trying to grow purple sprouting broccoli check out our tips here.


Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

Are you starting an allotment or planning on growing your own fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a kitchen garden? If so we highly recommend the book Allotment Month By Month. This does exactly what it does on the cover to help you with what you should be doing in the allotment and kitchen garden each month. Below you can see the link for Amazon where you can purchase the book directly. This book is extremely popular with all allotment holders as you will read in the reviews:-

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.


Purchase Broccoli Seeds

Are you looking at growing broccoli in the garden or the allotment? Purchasing the right seeds is important to getting great crops. Below is a link to our recommend seeds to try growing. These can be purchased directly from Amazon

When to sow, plant and harvest broccoli

Sowing, planting and harvesting your broccoli is vital to be done at the right time. This way you can get the best harvest and crops out of your vegetables. Here is our kept on when to do these jobs with your broccoli at the right times in the UK.

SowApril to July
PlantMay to August
HarvestFebruary to April and July to October

Please remember this all depends on the temperature and weather in the UK

How to sow broccoli seeds

Sowing your broccoli seeds at the right time could get you longer harvest times. Above our chart tells you when the best time is to sow your broccoli.

To sow your broccoli seeds you can use a seed tray filled with multipurpose compost. Sprinkle the seeds evenly on the seed tray. The seeds are very small balls. Try and not sow them near each other.

You can then cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost. Water the seeds to kick start the germination. You can cover the tray with a propagator or even a layer of cling film. This will keep the seeds warm and moist and speed up germination times.

Once the seeds have started to germinate you can take the cling film off the seed tray.

Place the seed tray in a warm greenhouse our windowsill where there is plenty of light.

How to transplant broccoli

Once your broccoli plants are big enough and strong enough to handle they can be moved to individual plant pots to grow bigger and stronger before planting outdoors. They only need to go in small plant pots.

When your broccoli plants are big enough and have developed a few leaves they are ready to plant outdoors. Wait until the frost has gone before planting the broccoli plants outdoors.

When you are ready to plant your broccoli plants outdoors make sure you have cleared an area and that it is weed free. Your broccoli plants will not like to compete with the weeds in the garden for the nutrients and the water. You can improve the soil by adding some well rotted organic matter, manure. Make sure it is well dug into the soil.

The day before planting your broccoli plants out make sure that you water them well the day before. This gives them the extra chance of not dying during transplanting.

Plant your broccoli plants around 50cm apart. This gives you enough room to weed in between the broccoli plants. If the broccoli plants are planted too close together you won’t get many side shoots growing on the broccoli plants.

Once you have planted them make sure you cover them straight away with horticultural fleece as the birds especially the pigeons will eat them down to the bases and destroy the plants.

How to care for broccoli plants

Broccoli plants do not need much caring for. Just make sure they are kept weed free. Water the plants every 14 days in dry weather or more often in extremely dry weather.

How to harvest broccoli

You need to be on the ball when harvesting broccoli as it can soon go to flower. If the head looks ready pick it. If the broccoli florets are going a yellow colour this means it’s about to bolt so get it harvested. You can find out more information on harvesting broccoli here.

Now you will know how to grow your own broccoli and get great results.

Broccoli Pests and diseases

Broccoli can be attacked by pests and diseases here you can find out what to do to prevent them.

Birds:- Birds will strip the plants when they are young. Cover the plants as soon as you have planted them with horticultural fleece or fine netting to protect them from getting destroyed.

Cabbage Root Fly:- this is when the larvae feed on the roots of the plants and destroy the plants. The plants will whither and die. Like above put fleece over the top or insect proof netting to protect them.

Club Root:- This is when the roots grow distorted and not good. You can improve soil drainage to prevent this.

Broccoli Facts

  • Broccoli is part of the brassica family. It is related to the cabbage, sprouts and cauliflower family
  • It is a cool weather crop
  • Broccoli is classed as a super food for its vitamins and nutrients.
When to harvest broccoli

When To Harvest Broccoli

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When To Harvest Broccoli

Broccoli can be expensive to purchase from the supermarket so growing it can save you lots of money. Plus broccoli is a superfood so many people who train and work out eat it so is highly popular. Knowing when to harvest broccoli is important though as if you just leave it past the right time it will go to seed and you could lose all the hard work you have put in. When broccoli goes to flower it is called bolting. So how do you know when to harvest broccoli? You will find out here all our gardening tips and advice.


Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

Are you starting an allotment or planning on growing your own fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a kitchen garden? If so we highly recommend the book Allotment Month By Month. This does exactly what it does on the cover to help you with what you should be doing in the allotment and kitchen garden each month. Below you can see the link for Amazon where you can purchase the book directly. This book is extremely popular with all allotment holders as you will read in the reviews:-

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.



Harvesting Broccoli

Knowing the right time to harvest broccoli is important. You will know when to harvest your broccoli as it will have formed a broccoli head on top of the plant. Usually, broccoli heads will be around 10cm to 15cm but that can also depend on the variety. The head that forms will be compact and tight on the broccoli. If you see a change in color of the broccoli floret from a dark green to a yellow color it means that the broccoli is about to bolt and go to flower so needs harvesting straight away. Usually, the individual florets on the broccoli are the size of a pencil lead.

How Do You Harvest Broccoli?

Making sure you harvest broccoli correctly is a must. If you do it right you could be harvesting more broccoli from the plant.

To harvest the broccoli you need a sharp knife (do not let children do this). With the knife cut the head of the broccoli around 10cm below the head with one sharp cut. Do not saw or be rough with the cutting of the broccoli head as this could damage and harm the broccoli plant.

Did you know that more broccoli will grow on the plant once you have cut the tops off? It will grow broccoli florets from the sides of the plant. This is why you need to be careful when cutting the heads off as you could be harvesting lots more from the plant.

As the side shoots are ready cut them off, the broccoli heads will not be as big as the side shoots but remember how big the floret heads are around the size of pencil lead.

When you have finished harvesting the broccoli off the plant you can actually eat the broccoli leaves like cabbage as they are from the same family of plants.


You now know how to harvest broccoli. You can find out plenty more gardening hints and tips here.

If you would like to learn about growing your own broccoli you can find out here.

chilli

How to grow chillies in UK

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How to grow chillies in UK

Have you ever tried growing chillies before? You can have great success from growing chillies here in the UK. All you need is is some warmth either in a greenhouse, polytunnel or a conservatory and you could have some great success and a fantastic harvest from your chilli plants. Here you will find out how to grow chillies in UK

There are many varieties of chillies that can be grown in the UK. You can get the very mild ones right through to the boiling hot ones that you may struggle to eat depending how good you are with spicy food.


Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

Are you starting an allotment or planning on growing your own fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a kitchen garden? If so we highly recommend the book Allotment Month By Month. This does exactly what it does on the cover to help you with what you should be doing in the allotment and kitchen garden each month. Below you can see the link for Amazon where you can purchase the book directly. This book is extremely popular with all allotment holders as you will read in the reviews:-

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.


Purchase Chilli seeds

Are you looking at growing chilli plants at home in the garden or the Allotment? If the answer is yes you will need to buy some chilli seeds. You can either use a chilli that you have bought from the shop and dry the seeds out or you can purchase your own. Below is a link to Amazon where you can purchase your own seeds.

When to Sow, Plant and Harvest your Chillies

Knowing the right time for sowing your seeds, planting your chillies and harvesting your produce is vital so that you get the best crops from your produce. Here we provide you with dates for you chillies in the UK

SowFebruary to April
PlantJune
HarvestJuly to October

Please remember these dates all depend on the weather in the UK and the temperature.

How to Sow Chilli Seeds

Chillis are bes started off indoors at the end of winter as they will need lots of warmth to help them germinate. Plus starting them off early gives them longer time to produce great crops.

To sow your chilli seeds fill a seed tray with good quality compost then sprinkle the seeds on top of the surface evenly. They will probably all germinate so only sow what you need to. Cover the seeds with a fine layer of compost. Water the compost and cover the seed tray with a propagator or use cling film. This will keep the compost warm and it will keep it moist which will save you from watering it.

Place your seed tray somewhere warm that has plenty of sunlight – on a windowsill would be a good spot. When the seeds start to germiante you can remove the propagator or the cling film.

How to plant out your chilli plants

When your chilli seeds have germinated and have grown to around 3cm you can now pot them up into individual plant pots. Plant them in small plant pots with standard compost.

When you can see the roots popping through the bottom of the plant pot you can transplant them to there final plant pots. You can either plant them in flower buckets with holes in or you could grow them in grow bags.

How to look after your chilli plants

As the chilli plants start to grow bigger you can stake them up with a garden cane to support them as they are growing so they don’t topple over and snap.

When the plants are around 25cm tall you can pinch the tops of the plants to encourage branches to grow on the chilli plants which will get more fruit on them.

To make sure that you get great crops on the chilli plants they will require watering regually every day to every other day.

When the flowers start to appear on the plant they will require feeding once every fortnight. You can use general tomato feed.

How to Harvest Chillies

This is the moment you have been waiting for harvesting your produce which has been growing for around 6 months. The more you pick them the more chillies will grow on the plant. If you are leaving them to ripen red they will not produce as many chillies on the plant.


Now you know how to grow chillies in UK. Do you want to know if the pepper is a fruit or a vegetable? Find out here.

Planting Red Onions

Planting Red Onions

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Planting Red Onions

Onions come in all different shapes and sizes now with many different varieties to grow. The main variety of onions is white onion. One onion that is not so commonly grown or eaten is red onion. You can easily buy these from garden centers and the supermarket to grow though. Are the red onions easy to grow, however? Here we will find out about planting red onions and how to grow red onions in the UK and the rest of the world


Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

Are you starting an allotment or planning on growing your own fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a kitchen garden? If so we highly recommend the book Allotment Month By Month. This does exactly what it does on the cover to help you with what you should be doing in the allotment and kitchen garden each month. Below you can see the link for Amazon where you can purchase the book directly. This book is extremely popular with all allotment holders as you will read in the reviews:-

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.



What Is The Difference Between White And Red Onions?

When growing red and white onions there is no difference in the technique for growing red or white onions. The only difference is the taste of the red and white onions. White onions are sometimes milder than red onions. White and red onions come in different varieties like any fruit or vegetable. The variety you grow is often down to the growth themselves and the success they have from growing them.

Purchase Red Onions

When purchasing red onions to grow you are often best growing them from sets that you purchase. These are usually small little bulbs than the actual seeds. These will often have better results than growing the onions from seed. You can purchase red onion bulbs from the link below direct from Amazon.

When To Plant And Harvest Red Onions

Knowing the right time to sow, plant and harvest red onions is vital to getting great crops. Here we list the UK timings for doing these jobs for your red onions.

PlantOctober – November, and March to April
HarvestJune to September

The dates listed for the red onions depend on the weather in the UK and the temperature.

How To Plant Red Onions

When growing red onions you need to find an area of soil that has plenty of sun and the soil is well-draining.

Before planting your red onion bulbs improve your soil by adding organic fertilizer to the soil. This will give the red onion bulbs a kickstart when growing.

Once you have prepared your onion bed and removed any weeds and stones from the soil you can now look at planting your onions. Plant your red onions around 2 inches deep. This is so that the roots are covered but the neck of the bulb is popping out of the soil. Plant your onions around 7-8 inches apart this is so they have room to grow and you can keep them weed-free. Onions do not like competing with weeds.

How To Look After Your Red Onions

Looking after your red onions is pretty easy and not a hard job. One of the key things is to keep them weeded. Do not use a hoe to weed around them as this can upset the plants, you are best using a hand tool to do this.

Red Onions have short roots on the plant so they require water often as the surface of the soil will dry out fast. Make sure you keep the onions watered but don’t flood them. Adding a layer of mulch around the top of the soil will help keep the soil moist but don’t cover the onions as they need sunlight to help them grow.

How To Harvest Red Onions

You will know when your red onions are ready to harvest as the leaves on the plant will start to turn yellow and they will flop over. Don’t water the onions when the tops start to flop over as this can cause the onions to go to seed.

When you are ready to harvest your red onions get a hand fork and carefully lift the onions being careful not to pierce or damage the onion. Lift the onion out and shake off any soil hanging on it.

You can now hang your onions or lay them somewhere dry and warm to cure them. After around 2 weeks the onions will be ready to use in your cooking. Now you know all about planting red onions.


Why not try growing garlic with our hints and tips here?

When To Plant Garlic UK

When To Plant Garlic UK

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When to plant garlic UK

Garlic has always been a popular thing to grow in allotments and the kitchen garden. You can get some great results from the garlic cloves you plant in the garden. It can also be stored for a while as well. The garlic cloves you want to grow are the ones you buy online try and stay clear of the supermarket ones as these have been chemically grown and will not be as good as the ones online or from a garden center. Here we are going to explain when to plant garlic UK and how to grow garlic.


Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

Are you starting an allotment or planning on growing your own fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a kitchen garden? If so we highly recommend the book Allotment Month By Month. This does exactly what it does on the cover to help you with what you should be doing in the allotment and kitchen garden each month. Below you can see the link for Amazon where you can purchase the book directly. This book is extremely popular with all allotment holders as you will read in the reviews:-

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.


Purchase Garlic Bulbs

Are you looking at growing garlic in the garden and allotment? Well don’t use the bulbs from a supermarket. Order your bulbs online and you will get better success from them. Below is a link to purchase your bulbs directly from Amazon.

When to Sow, Plant and Harvest Garlic

Sowing, planting, and harvesting your garlic at the right times is important so that you can get the best crops from your cloves. Here we provide the UK timings for your garlic.

SowN/a
PlantOctober to February
HarvestJune to August

Please note these planting and harvesting times in the UK for the garlic all depends on the weather and the temperature.

How To Plant Garlic

When choosing the right spot for growing garlic you need to look for a sunny spot that is well-draining. A week before planting you can add some well-rotted organic matter or fertilizer to the soil this will help get great crops.

Garlic is best planted in the Autumn or early Winter. You can always start your garlic off in seed modules rather than planting straight in the ground. Either way will have good results.

When planting your garlic make sure you split up the bulb into cloves. Plant the cloves so that the tip is around 3cm deep in the soil. You will need to leave a space between the plants of at least 20cm. This gives them the room to grow and for you to weed easy.

How To Care For Garlic Plants

When you have planted your garlic you need to cover the plants with either netting or horticultural fleece as the birds especially pigeons will be watching for the green shoots. They will nibble the tops off and also pull the bulbs out. If you have the garlic protected from the birds this will prevent it from happening.

Keep the garlic weed free as they do not like to compete against them for water or nutrition. Don’t hoe around them as this can damage the bulbs. You are best hand weeding around the plants.

When watering your garlic only do this in the Spring and Summer in dry spells do not water if they are wet or when the bulbs have reached the right size. Over-watering them when they get big can lead to the bulb rotting then you will lose the crop.

How to Harvest Garlic

You will notice that your garlic is ready for harvesting (picking) when the leaves start to turn yellow and flop over.

To harvest the garlic bulbs you want to carefully lift the bulbs with a fork being careful not to pierce the bulb and damage the garlic.

Shake the dirt of the garlic and lay them down in a dry airy place to dry out. All the rest of the dirt should fall off.

Once the garlic bulbs have dried out they will be ready to use in your cooking.

We hope you have found these tips and advice useful on when to plant garlic Uk useful. Check out all our other hints and tips in our plant index here

shallots

Harvesting Shallots

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Harvesting Shallots

It can be great fun growing shallots but knowing the best time for harvesting shallots is important. People often get confused between onions and shallots they are two completely different type of onion. Shallots grow in clusters of onions and onions are one onion on there own.

Shallots can be eaten raw or they can be roasted they have a combination of flavour between a onion and garlic.

Here you will find out the best time for harvesting Shallots from your garden or allotment.


Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

Are you starting an allotment or planning on growing your own fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a kitchen garden? If so we highly recommend the book Allotment Month By Month. This does exactly what it does on the cover to help you with what you should be doing in the allotment and kitchen garden each month. Below you can see the link for Amazon where you can purchase the book directly. This book is extremely popular with all allotment holders as you will read in the reviews:-

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.


When do I harvest Shallots?

Knowing the right time to harvest shallots can be down to your preference. This reason is because the tops of the shallots can be eaten as well as the bulb. If you are growing the shallots for the tops these can be ready in around 30 days – these are often used in stir frys, salads or even in soups.

The shallots usually take around 90 days to produce the bulb cluster. You can usually tell when the shallots are ready when the tops of the onions start to die back and flop over. This is usually the end of summer.

How to Harvest Shallots

The shallots will be ready when the tops have died back and gone yellow now is the time which you have been waiting for harvesting the shallots.

You can dig the shallots up with a small hand fork, carefully not damaging the bulb in the process. Knock off all the dirt and mud from the shallot. If you know how to french plat you can plat the bulbs together.

Hang the bulbs up in a dry shed for around 2 weeks the rest of the dirt and mud should fall of the bulbs. If you are not using them straight away continue to store the bulbs in a dry place.

We hope you have found these tips useful on harvesting shallots.

You can find out more information on growing fruit and vegetables here.

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